In the past, as antibacterial polyester fibers and antibacterial polyester formed articles, fibers and formed articles having an inorganic antibacterial agent such as silver ions or zinc ions kneaded thereinto, fibers and formed articles having a natural antibacterial agent such as chitosan or an inorganic antibacterial agent added thereto in post-processing, and the like have been proposed (see e.g., Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2, and Patent Document 3).
However, fibers and formed articles having an antibacterial agent kneaded thereinto have a problem in that such a fiber or formed article has a poor color tone. In addition, those having an antibacterial agent added thereto in post-processing have a problem with durability. Further, the use of an inorganic antibacterial agent containing silver ions, zinc ions, or the like also has environmental problems.
Meanwhile, in recent years, demands for polyester fibers and polyester formed articles with higher characteristics have been growing, and, in addition to antibacterial performance, other characteristics are also required.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-3-241068
Patent Document 2: JP-A-2004-190197
Patent Document 3: WO 97/42824